Electric calendar



March 13, 1934. R, J, SHARPE ETAL 1,950,821

' 'ELECTRIC lCALENDAR Filed March 24 l1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 13. l934- R. J. sHARPE ET AL ELECTRIC CALENDAR Filed March 24. 195?. 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor r/.pfgiz Fcfwarc/ 7)@oneh `'lomey March 13, 1934. R. J. SHARPE n AL ELECTRIC CALENDAR Filed March 24. 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor JSN 6 fel/warf] @@1701 llorney March 13, 1934.

R. J. SHARPE ETI" AL ELECTRIC CALENDAR Filed March 24 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 lLLlllllll 75k/wa n! 7gg/ganen March 13, 1934. R J, SHARPE ET AL 1,950,821

ELECTRIC CALENDAR Filed March 24 193?. 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 InuenorJ By 4&5 ,a t Zm Allorney Patented Mar. 13, 1934i UNITED STATES ELECTRIC CALENBAR Reginald l Sharpe and Edward Pekonen,

Chisholm, Minn., assignors of one-third to Hialrner iaulson, Chisholm,

application March 2i,

9 Claims.

Our invention relates to calendars, particularly to electric calendars, wherein electrically operated mechanisms are combined so that the calendar will continually register and record visually the hours, days, months and date of the month, and which does not re further attention after having been connected to an ordinary house current supply'.

lt is an important object of our invention to provide a calendar oi this type which is entirely automatic and continuous in its action, and wherein means is provided ior automatically making compensation for leap years, and for thirty-day months, and for the shortened month of f'eoruary.

it is also an important object of our invention to provide a device of this kind of superior simplicity and ruggedness of construction which may he constructed at a lower cost than has been possible heretoore, and which at the saine tiine is accurate and dependable, having no parts which readily wear or get out or order.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will he apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein or the purposes of illustration we have shown preferred embodiments of the invention.

lin the drawings:

Figure l represents a front elevational view of one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar View of another form of the invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the interior construction or" a preferred forni of the invention.

Figure .l is a View similar to Figure 3 wherein a portion of t i construction is broken away to show interior operating parts.

Figure 5 is an end view of the date-onthernonth ratchet gear.

Figure 6 is a plan view thereof and Figure is a horizontal sectional View showing the arrangement of the contact devices indicated in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a general diagrammatic View of the wiring system of the calendar.

Referring in detail to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the saine, the numerals 5 and 5a refer to casings of suitable ornamental character in which the device of the invention is adapted to oe disposed. In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in `tligure 1 the casing 5 has vertically spaced openings 6, 7 and 8 for exposing the proper portion of the strips of the device for giving visual record of the day of the week, the month Minn.

rosa, sei-iai No. sortis (or. (reune) and the date of the month in this order downwardly. To the left or" the openings 6, l and 3 a conventional twelve hour clock face dial 9 for indicating the hour.

in the embodiment shown in Figure 2 wherein the numeral 5a generally designates a suitahle casing of a form diverging from that shown in Figure 1, the clock dial 9c is located in the upper part of the iront of the casing, while the openings 6a, *la and 8a are located in horizontally longitudinally spaced manner. The dotted lines in Figure 2 indicate a horizontal disposition of the cooperating ratchet gears carrying indicating disks to be described whereas in the embodiment shown in Figure l, vertical disposition of these m gears obtain, a detailed description of which will hegiven and which is illustrated in detail in the drawings. it will he obvious that either disposition of the gears 'may be applied or other dispositions dierent from that described in detail .herein may he utilized according to circumstances.

The generally U-shapeol support for the mechanism is generally designated oy the numeral 10 and it carries journalled through its vertical inernhers 11, l2 respectively rotatable axles or lshaft-s which support the various iiexihle rolls vparallel roller 15 vertically spaced thereahove the roller 14 being in the saine vertical plane, the strip is then carried toward the rear of the support and passed around a roller 16 whence it passes vertically upwardly and around a roller i7 then forwardly and around a roller 18 near the front of the upper part of the support then rearwardly in a substantially horizontal plane and then 9 around a roller 19 whence it passes substantially perpendicular downwardly along the back of the sipport 5 and under a motivating roller 20 which is larger than the other rollers and then over another small roller 21 to the roller lll, thereby completing the loop. The roller 2G has at one end a small gear 22 which is adapted to he meshed with the date oi the month gear 23a seen in Figure 8.

In next the course of the month strip :la it will he seen that it passes upwardly from the roller 25 over a roller 26, under a roller 27 then perpendicularly upwardly and over a roller 2S whence passes perpendicularly downwardly to a roller 29 then 'upwardly over a roller 30 to the roller 25. It will be observed that the roller 30 carries a small gear 31 which is adapted to be meshed with the month gear 32a illustrated in Figure 3.

In tracing the day of the week strip 33 it will be seen that it passes upwardly from a roller 34 and over a motivating roller 35 then horizontally to and over a roller 36 then forwardly and over a roller 37 and then to the roller 34. It will be observed that the roller carries a small gear 38 which is meshed with the day of the week gear 39a seen in Figure 8.

Reference to Figure 3 will disclose that the date of the month gear 23 is in the form of a ratchet gear rotatably supported in a bracket 40 on the outside of the side member 12 of the support 10 at the lower part thereof, and for operating this date of the month gear 23 there is provided a rockably mounted pawl 41 adapted to be actuated by a solenoid 42, the armature of the solenoid having a circumposed spring 43 for returning the armature and pawl to normal position. Cooperating with the armature 44 of the solenoid 42 for limiting the upward movement thereof in a predetermined manner are horizontally disposed solenoids 45, 46, and 47 whose armatures are normally disposed in the sphere of action of the solenoid armature 44 and which armatures 45, 46, 47 are adapted to be selectively retracted so as to permit a greater vertical movement of the armature 44 of the solenoid 42.

The object of this provision will be evident as the description proceeds. It will be observed that solenoid 42 and the solenoids 45, 46 and 47 are carried and supported by a casing generally designated 48 which is located above the pawl 4l on the side 12 oi the support 10.

Above the mechanism just described and mounted by means of a bracket 49 is the month gear 32 with which is meshed a compensating gear 50 having a cooperating Contact mechanism 51. The month ratchet gear 32 is adapted to be actuated by a pawl 52 operated by a solenoid 53 having its armature normally projected by the circumposed spring 54. Above the month gear 32 and compensating gear 50 is the day of the week ratchet gear 39 adapted tobe actuated by the pawl 54 operated by the solenoid 55 which has on its armature a circumposed spring 56 for normally projecting it. The gears 22, 23a, 31, 38, and 39a, and the rolls which carry the webs are of such size and construction that actuation of the gears in the manner described will move the webs sufiiciently to change the indications of the device.

Reference to Figure 6 will disclose in detail the arrangement and construction of the date of the month gear and its cooperating contact fingers 57, 58 and 59, arranged for successive electrical engagement with contact point 60 located at the tooth of the ratchet wheel which corresponds to the twenty-eighth day of the month, with the contact 6l which corresponds to the twenty-ninth day of the month, and with the contact 62 which corresponds to the thirtieth day of the month. It will be observed that the contacts 60, 61 and 62 are located progressively toward the center of the wheel. Another contact 63 corresp'onding to the rst day of the month is located peripherally as is the contact 60. The form of the contact fingers 57, 53 and 59 and 64 is shown in detail in Figure 7, together with the manner of cooperation of these contact fingers with the contacts 60, 61, 62 and 63.

A detailed description of the operation and cooperation of the structure just described and the relationship thereof will further clarify the structure of the device of the invention, and to this end, reference is made to Figure 8.

In this figure the date of the month disk 23 which may carry for rotation therewith the large gear 23a for actuation of the related roller or a disk suitably marked so as to make the propel' indications through the openings in the casing as already described, is actuated through the agency o1 the pawl 41 by the solenoid 42 which has connection by means of the conductor 65 to the shoe contact 66 with which the twenty-four hour hand 67 of the clock train incorporated with the twelve hour clock dial 9 cooperates for perfecting a contact and closing a circuit to the supply terminal 68. The other supply terminal 69 is connected in a manner which will be obvious, to all of the solenoids and directly to the solenoids 42, 53 and 55 for actuating the same from house current supply.

The date of the month ratchet gear 23 is actuated one notch every twenty-four hours through the agency of the action of the twenty-four hour contact mechanism cooperating with the clock 9, as the solenoid 42 is connected across the line through the contacts 66, 67 and the electric clock 9, whereby to complete the circuit as described.

The day of the week ratchet gear 39 is rotated by the action of the solenoid 54, 55 each time the circuit is completed therethrough by the contacts 66, 67 through connection to the lines relating thereto whereby to be actuated for a movement oi one notch every twenty-four hour period.v The month ratchet gear 32 is rotated by the lifting of the solenoid pawl 52, 53, the solenoid being connected across the line to the contact iinger 64 from the date of the month ratchet gear 23. The contact 63 with the finger 64 is made momentarily on the iirst day of each month, thereby actuating the month gear 32 one notch in every thirty, thirty-one, twenty-eight or twenty-nine days as the month may call for.

Where a month calls for only thirty days, contact of finger 59 is made with Contact 62 on 'the date oi the month gear whereby to cause the iiow of current through finger 75 to the corresponding one of the contacts, September, 70, November 7l, April 72, and June 73, only the nger 76 engages the contact 74 corresponding to February. A different arrangement is obtained for February than obtain for September, November, April and June contacts to 73 inclusive which call for thirty days. In the case of these months the contact of the finger with any oi the contacts 70, 7l, 72, 73 causes actuation of the solenoid 47 so as to withdraw its armature from the upward path of travel of the armature 44 of the solenoid 42, whereby to permit the pawl operated thereby to travel a distance to enable it to move the day of the month gear 23 two instead of one notch so as to turn it to the first of the month.

In the case of the short month of February contact of iinger 57 is made with contact 60 on gear 23, and the contact 74 is engaged by the nger 76 whereby to close a circuit to the coni.

tact arm 77 whereby solenoids 47, 46 and solenoid 45 are operated so as to permit the armature of the solenoid 42 to travel still further upwardly and move the date of the month wheel four notches instead of one. so as to bring it to the 'l .5

v58 with contact 61 will be made by wheel 23 wherebyV the solenoids 46 and 47 are actuated to retract the armatures thereof to permit armature of the solenoid 42 to travel upwardly past them and thereby turn the wheel 23 three notches instead of one notch, thereby changing the position of the .wheel 23 from February 29 to the first of the month in March.

In the case where the month of February contains twenty nine days, the compensating gear 50 comes into play, this being meshed with thesmall gear 78 which rotates with the month gear 32. The arrangement is such that while the gear 32 rotates once per year, the compensating gear 50 will be turned once in four years. On leap years, the February month will bring into position a cam 79 on the compensating gear 50 thereby swinging the contact arm 77 away from the contact 80 with which it is normally contacted, so that the arm '77 contacts the contact 81 while the iinger 58 contacts the contact 61 on the date of the month gear 23 which acts to close a circuit including the contact 74 on the month wheel 32 whereby to actuate the solenoids 46, 47 to retract the armatures thereof to permit the armature of solenoid 42 to travel upwardly past them and thereby cause the date of the month gear 23 to move three notches whereby to change the day of the month from the twenty ninth to the first.

The geared connections with the clock 9 having the twelve hour dial are such as to multiply the effect of the twelve hour mechanism whereby to produce a twenty four gear 82 upon which an arm 67 is mounted for rotation therewith for engaging the contact 66. A suitable shoe contact 83 is maintained in contact with the hub portion of the arm 67.

l't will be obvious that various arrangements and coordinations of the mechanism described may be utilized for obtaining convenience from an operating standpoint, and from a consideration of compactness and the precise incorporation desired, according to type of casing desired to accommodate, and other considerations which will readily occur to persons skilled in the art to which this invention relates.

Although we have shown and described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is'to be denitely understood that we do not desire io limit the application of the invention thereto and any change or changes may be made in materials, structure, arrangement of parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is:

l. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes day of the week, date of the month, and month exhibitor means, said device comprising electrically operated operating means for each of the exhibitor means, said electrically operated means being electrically interconnected so as to act in coordinated manner, switch means operated by the operating means for conditioning the coordinated operation of the electrically operated means, mechanically connected compensating means for the month and date of the month exhibitors to compensate for short months and leap years, and switch means operable by the compensating means actuating the operating means for giving compensatory adjustment to the date of the month and month exhibitors.

2. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes day of the week, date of the month, month, and yearl exhibitors, said device comprising electrically operated operating means for each of the exhibitors, said electrically operated means being electricaliy interconnected so as to act in coordinated manner, switch means operated by the operating means 'or conditioning the coordination operation of the electrically operated means, mechanically connected compensating means for the month and date of the month exhibitors to compensate for short months and leap years, and other switch means operable by the compesating means and in circuit with some of said electrically operated means, whereby the said operating means is further operated for giving compensatory adjustment to the date oi the month and month exhibitors for short months and leap years, each of said exhibitors comprising toothed wheel means having connected thereto visual means.

3. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which has exhibitor means for showing the day of the. week, the date of the month, and the month, a support, rotatable exhibitor carrying meansv on the support, electrically operated means for imparting a coordinated step-by-step rotation of the exhibitor carrying means, switch means operated by the periodic device for conditioning the necessary coordinated action of the electrically operated means, compensating means for compensating for short months and other compensating means for compensating for leap years, each of said compensating means comprising compensating switch means operable by some of the exhibitor means by the exhibitor carrying means for conditioning further and compensatory actuation of some of the electrically operated means.

4. In a changeable exhibitor oi the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes day of the week, date of the month, and month exhibitor means, said device comprising electrically operated operating means for each oi' the exhibitor means, said electrically operated means being electrically interconnected 12() so as to act in coordinated manner, switch means operated by the operating means for conditioning the coordinated operation of the electrically operated means, mechanically connected compensating means for the month and date of the month exhibitors to compensate for short months and leap years, and switch means operable by the compensating means actuating the operating means for giving compensatory adjustment to the date of the month and month exhibitors, each of said electrically operated operating means comprising ratchet wheel means and electromagnetic means engageable with the ratchet wheel means for rotating the same in step by step manner.

5. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes day of the week, date of the month, and month exhibitor means, said device ccmprising electrically operated operating means for each of the exhibitor means, said electrically operated means being electrically interconnected so as to act in coordinated manner, switch means operated by the operating means for conditioning the coordinated operation of the electrically operated means, mechanically connected compensating means for the month and date of the month exhibitors to compensate for short months and leap years, and switch means operable by the compensating means actuating the operating means for giving compensatory adjustment to the date of the month and month exhibitors, said compensating means comprising rotatable means connected for rotation by one of the ratchet wheel means.

6. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes day of the week, date of the month, and month exhibitor means, said device comprising electrically operated operating means for each of the exhibitor means, said electrically operated means being electrically interconnected so as to act in coordinated manner, switch means operated by the operating means for conditioning the coordinated operation of the electrically operated means, mechanically connected compensating means for the month and date of the month exhibitors to compensate for short months and leap years, and switch means operable by the compensating means actuating the operating means for giving compensatory adjustment to the date of the month and month exhibitors, said compensating means including stop means engageable by one of the electromagnetic means, said stop means being automatically adjustable to limit the rotating effect of the electromagnetic means upon its companion ratchet wheel means.

7. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes day of the week, date of the month, and month exhibitor means, said device comprising electrically operated operating means for each of the exhibitor means, said electrically operated means being electrically interconnected so as to act in coordinated manner, switch means operated by the operating means for conditioning the coordinated operation of the electrically operated means, mechanically connected compensating means for the month and dateof the month exhibitors to compensate for short months and leap years, and switch means operable by the compensating means actuating the operating means for giving compensatory adjustment to the date of the month and month exhibitors, said compensating means including stop means engageable by one of the electromagnetic means, said stop means being automatically adjustable to limit the rotating effect of the electromagnetic means upon its companion ratchet Wheel means, said stop means being electro-magnetically operated, and switch means operated by the rotatable means for controlling the adjustment of the stop means.

8. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes month and date of the month exhibitor means, electrically operated means for moving said exhibitor means in a coordinated step-by-step manner, said operating means being electrically interconnected so as to act in a coordinated manner, compensating means for said exhibitors to compensate for short months and leap years, and switch means operable by the compensating means actuating the operating means for giving compensatory adjustment to the said exhibitors.

9. In a changeable exhibitor of the calendar type which is actuated by a periodic device and which includes day of the Week and date of the month exhibitor means, electrically operated means for moving said exhibitor means in a stepby-step manner, said operating means being electrically interconnected so as to act in a coordinated manner, compensating means for said exhibitors to compensate for short months, and switch means operable by --the compensating means actuating the operating means for giving compensatory adjustment to said exhibitors.

REGINALD J. SHARPE EDWARD PEKONEN.

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